Congolese do not get death certificates. So, what does it matter if they die from Ebola, Cholera, or any other causes associated with extreme poverty?
It matters to me if someone dies from a treatable and preventable disease or illness. Lack of access to clean water, nets, nutritious food, and basic health care kills thousands of Congolese each year. Those deaths are preventable and treatable. I suspect that Ebola is preventable, too.
About 50-90 percent of the people infected with Ebola eventually die. The highly contagious Ebola causes it victims to bleed out in the final stages. The initial stages of Ebola is very similar to other diseases such as malaria, cholera, and others which causes extreme fever and diarrhea. Therefore, anyone with those symptoms have to be isolated and observed.
Currently, the Congolese health officials or others are being careful to make sure deaths are properly classified or attributed. To date, 12 people may have died from the Ebola Outbreak near Mweka just south of Bulape. Some deaths caused by other diseases such as cholera, malaria, shigellosis were excluded from the death toll.
